A. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to online marketplaces, and more particularly, to an online marketplace for services including a collaborative workspace.
B. Background of the Invention
The nature of business is changing. The management, procurement and delivery of services are becoming decentralized as businesses increasingly outsource for their needs. New kinds of business organizations are emerging as employees seek greater flexibility through working independently. Large, vertically integrated companies are being replaced by fluid, self-managed groups of diverse individuals who form online teams, engage in a common task and disband after the project's completion. In this new economy, there is a strong need for infrastructure that can facilitate sourcing, buying and selling services more efficiently.
The traditional market for services, both online and offline, is highly fragmented. In the offline world, a buyer of services has traditionally located service providers through the local telephone directory, print publications or personal referrals. Once a service provider was located, however, the buyer had to contact him or her, arrange a method or time to review his or her prior work or otherwise evaluate his or her qualifications for the project and negotiate a price. Even in the age of the Internet, thousands of service providers, both individuals and companies, offer their services, but their individual web sites or online postings are often difficult to find or do not disclose sufficient information regarding the quality of their work product, reputation or availability. Furthermore, a buyer of services still has to contact each vendor individually through email, evaluate their qualifications and negotiate specifications, availability and price on an individual basis. As a result, comparison shopping, negotiation and collaboration with services providers have traditionally been time-consuming, inefficient and costly for the buyer of services.
Online marketplaces for physical goods have successfully aggregated vendors and enabled customers to compare prices and make such purchases more efficiently. In contrast to online marketplaces for physical goods, however, online marketplaces for services are significantly more complex because each service is performed on a custom order basis and each end product is unique. The process of creating and delivering a service is more critical than with most products, as the buyer and seller of services must work collaboratively to define the parameters of the project and develop a finished product that meets the specifications of the buyer. In addition, unlike in product marketplaces, the lowest cost provider of services does not necessarily win the project because the buyer's decision may not only be based on price, but also on the quality of the service provider's work product, reputation and delivery date.
The fragmentation of the traditional market for services both online and offline has therefore created a strong need for infrastructure that can facilitate access to service providers and their services in an efficient manner.